This invention relates to foot supporting devices and, more particularly, to a device for pulling the foot muscles back to a relaxation phase in between times that the foot is stressed.
For continuous efficiency of the foot muscles, it is important to maintain a smooth alternating action between tension and relaxation of the muscles. During tension, the foot is under stress. Such tension occurs when the foot is in a weight-bearing condition. Relaxation of the foot muscles should take place when lifting the foot in between steps. If the foot remains stiff during such relaxation phase, the muscles tire and become stiff and painful. The important factor is to assure that an interchange of phases of stress and relaxation is automatically and mechanically regulated. It is the interaction between the relaxation and the stress phases that permits the muscles to re-energize themselves and, consequently, enables them to be ready for further demands of additional stress.
During the change between relaxation and stress, a change in the configuration of the foot occurs. However, when external conditions are present, they can restrain the foot so as to make relaxation of the foot impossible. Such external conditions include tight shoelaces, stiff or tight shoes, high heels, stiff arch supports and other similar restrictions.
As a result, even though the foot may lift off the ground during the intermediate stages between stress phases, the muscles may not have an opportunity to relax and the natural exchange between tension and relaxation is precluded.
Although exercises can be utilized to maintain the loosening and moving of the muscles, it is not always practical to prescribe loosening exercises in the majority of the cases, and, accordingly the muscles frequently remain fatigued and actually lose their ability to relax thereby staying tense and eventually cramp up.
Various foot straps have been provided in the prior art which are applied to the foot for the purpose of correcting various foot weaknesses and toe deformities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,091 describes a toe holder having a continuous strap fitting around the heel portion and terminating in a pair of toe loops so as to grasp two toes and maintain them in appropriate configuration. While this device may be used to correct disfiguration of toes and serve as a relief for corns and calluses, it does little to provide a relaxation of the muscles and does not achieve a return of the muscles to their relaxed condition between intermediate stress phases.